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Pay raises for city workers hot topic here, cold there

| August 12, 2010 7:27 AM

COEUR d’ALENE — City Council members have heard a little feedback, some grumbles, and a few questions regarding the city’s proposal to give its employees raises next fiscal year, while asking for a raise in property taxes.

“It’s a tough one. It kind of takes the air out of your sails,” said Councilman Woody McEvers. “The best word for me is ‘frustrated,’ trying to balance the law and your heart, your gut feeling.”

The law is the contracted 3 percent COLA increase the city has with unions. Last year they negotiated down to zero, and this year 1 percent, or $212,317 for its 353 or so positions.

But the heart part is not asking for raises when so many other businesses are struggling.

“It’s eating at me,” said McEvers, who’s had around 15 residents approach him about it. “I already said, ‘Yeah, I think I can support it,’ but I might change my mind.”

But the topic hasn’t been the hottest topic talking point compared to topics past, other council members said.

Councilman Mike Kennedy, who often shares conversations he’s had with citizens on city topics during the council meetings, has fielded comments against it from two people, one inside the city and one outside.

Council member Ron Edinger said he’s heard nothing about it, and fellow member John Bruning said he’s fielded some questions about it, but not input or opinions.

McEvers though was the lone council member who urged his fellow members to ask for a zero percent tax increase request during last year’s budget workshop.

That workshop already included the zero percent COLA request the city worked out that year, but McEvers said the city should also cut back on the tax request by asking for zero percent. The rest of the council favored finance director Troy Tymesen’s proposed request seeking up to 2 percent leading up to the public hearing to adopt the financial plan. After the story of the workshop ran in The Press, council members fielded concerns from citizens, and the city later issued a press release that said it would still consider zero percent at the public hearing. The city ended up asking for zero percent on the taxes at the hearing.

But during that public hearing, McEvers shared a conversation he had with Tymesen about the tax increases in the last several years worth of budgets leading up to the hearing. Only once in those several years did the city ask for zero percent, and when McEvers asked why, Tymesen had told him it was because it was an election year.

Last year was an election year; this year is not.

But McEvers said he’s not so sure one and the other are directly tied.

Asking and not asking for money doesn't have anything to do with an upcoming vote, he said.

“I like to think the election year doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he said.

Question for readers: Do you agree with McEvers on that last point? - Tom Hasslinger